Hakuouki Shin Mezame- A New Awakening
by SoujiXMe
Summary: Rather than Chizuru, a girl named Yoshida Hitomi comes to Kyoto. She isn't an ordinary girl. Forced to run away from home, she finds the Shinsengumi. Can she be trusted? She has incredible bravery and skills, not to mention her incredibly strong emotional armor, which only Okita's eyes can fully penetrate. With her around, only one thing's for sure- lives will be changed forever.
1. Chapter 1- Fate Forever Frozen

"Tch. Why do I _always_ end up in the wrong place at the wrong time?!" Yoshida Hitomi found herself staring straight into four pairs of glowing red eyes.

"I've dealt with enough of these things!" She unsheathed her kodachi, and, rather than attacking, she carefully made a long, thin slit down her arm, releasing the crimson liquid that was her very own blood. The eyes of the rasetsu revealed their insanity at the sight. As they charged, ready to devour the girl of only 16 years, she held out her hand, pushing them back with a sudden blast of air. The furies stared, awestruck, as the gust of air that forced them back seemed to have no effect on the snow softly floating to the frozen ground.

"I realize that you're in pain," Hitomi said, letting her blood drip into four small, separate pools on the ice. They tried to get to her, but they were once again struck by the same invisible force. "I'll give you blood, however keep in mind that trying to kill me ends in _your_ death, not mine." With a soft wave of her hand, the mysterious girl cleared the force field, allowing them to come forth.

Loud, running footsteps were followed by a long-awaited voice. "You idiot! What the _hell_ are you doing?!"

Slowly, Hitomi turned, her long, light brown hair blowing in the wind.

"Souji, I'm pretty sure that's a woman that you just called an idiot."  
>"I'm aware, Hajime-kun," replied the first man sarcastically.<br>The girl spoke. "Please don't worry. I have them under control."

Both men approached slowly in an attempt not to surprise the creatures.

Three of the rasetsu heeded Hitomi's warning, but one was looking for more blood than offered. He drew his sword, but before he could swing, both unit captains had theirs drawn as well, and Hitomi's katana was in his heart.

"I'm truly sorry," whispered Hitomi as the man fell to the ground.

The two men stood in awe as each of the remaining rasetsu drank from their respective servings and seemingly regained their grasp on common sense. The cut on the girl's arm sealed.  
>"Um, Hajime-kun," whispered the taller of the two, "What do we do with her? And what do we do with THEM?" He signaled towards the rasetsu, who were back to their usual appearance, yet they seemed dazed and confused.<br>"As far as I know, the vice commander is not far from here. I believe this decision is out of our authority."  
>The taller of the two snorted, amused by how serious his friend sounded.<br>The other man gave him a look, then signaled to a man in the shadows who was dressed as a ninja and had been hiding on a nearby roof the entire time. He approached, and, without adjusting his gaze to look at him, suddenly whispered, "Yamazaki, go get Hijikata."

Hitomi stood wide - eyed. He must have meant Hijikata Toshizou, the Shinsengumi's vice commander.

The man addressed as Yamazaki nodded and, once again, disappeared into the shadows.

The two men approached. Judging by how they had addressed each other, the shortest was Saitou Hajime. From what Hitomi had heard in Edo, he was the Shinsengumi's third division captain and a formidable swordsman, despite being left handed. Saitou knelt to examine the rasetsu. The other glared at Hitomi. _He must be Okita Souji,_ Hitomi thought. _The genious swordsman._

"Make one move, and I'll kill you." His eyes were ice cold, and so was the sadistic smile growing on his face.

"I don't plan on going anywhere. I have nowhere to go. I just wanted to meet you. All I ask is that you give me a chance. I realize you can't trust me, but I assure you that I'm on your side." She found herself staring into his eyes, her own, nearly identical to his, brimming with tears. She blinked, and a single small, salty drop slowly streamed down her cheek. She stood firm, yet her eyes admitted her sudden intense fear and sadness.

He snickered. "Well, you're right about one thing; I can't trust you. What did you do to those guys?"

"Oni blood brings sense back to those who drink Ochimizu."

Okita lowered his voice, his hand gripping the girl's kimono and his glare gripping her soul. "Who told you about the rasetsu?"

Despite her earlier bravery, Okita's hateful glare sent an icy blade down her spine and stabbed her heart. Her legs were now shaking uncontrollably. She gripped the sign next to the shop behind her and leaned on it to maintain her balance. She spoke in a voice as shaky as the bare cherry blossom branches shaking off the snow in the wind.

"My clan."

"Clan?"

"My fellow oni."

"What the fuck are you talking about? What's this oni crap? Are you saying you believe you _are _one?"

Hitomi raised her right arm that should have still been bleeding. Okita's glare now pinned her to the wall behind her. He turned away slowly and joined Saitou in examining the rasetsu, who were now chewing on each other for no apparent reason.

The Demon Vice Commander appeared, his long, black hair swaying in the winter wind. "We're taking her back to headquarters. She obviously knows things we don't. Souji, will you do the honors?"

"Gladly." Just as Okita approached, ready to knock her out...

The girl fainted.

Hitomi apparently had reached her limit. She wasn't terribly afraid of the rasetsu, as she was confident in her skills. It was Okita's glare that pierced her emotional armor. His eyes inspired the only thing she truly feared- fear itself.

"Well, that sucks. She pissed me off." A mischievous grin appeared on Okita's face. "Can I hit her anyway?"

"Souji, you keep quiet."

"Jeez, Hijikata-San. You're just like Hajime-Kun. Neither of you can take a simple joke." He spoke mockingly, yet if not for the clouds in the sky, the moonlight would have revealed the red in his face.

"Shut up and let's go."


	2. Chapter 2- A New Beginning

Hitomi awoke the next morning tied up and blindfolded. She squirmed, then stopped when she remembered the previous night's incident.

"Ah, I see that you're awake." A smiling man was sitting across the room. He approached to untie the ropes binding her, but he struggled with the knots. He paused, contemplating whether to try to cut them off or not, but decided against it. The ropes themselves were already digging into the girl's skin, leaving no room to place a blade.

The man sighed, frustrated. "Souji, get in here!" He removed what he _could_, the blindfold.

Hitomi looked around the room. Neither her katana nor kodachi were anywhere to be found.

Okita stumbled in, stretching. "Geez, what? I just woke up!" He yawned dramatically to prove his point.

"Why is it that your knots are impossible to untie?"

Hitomi began to squirm again, her eyes scrunched tightly.

"I figured that Hijikata-San would have come to his senses and killed her by now."

"We need to talk to her in the main hall. It'll be hard for her to walk there like this, won't it?"

"Who says she's gotta walk there? Why don't we roll her?"

The face of the man who _had_ been smiling was now in his hand. "Just untie her, please."

Okita laughed. "Funny thing, Gen-San, I can't untie those things, either."

The man addressed as Gen-San sighed.

Okita, still laughing, knelt down so that he was looking into the squirming girl's face. "Guess you're a caterpillar starting today!"

At that moment, the ropes snapped, and Hitomi replied, nearing the same level of sarcasm as Okita. "I prefer limbs, thanks."

Okita raised an eyebrow, and Gen-San looked completely confused. "D-Did she just..."

Okita finished, "...break out of those?"

"I already told you that I'm an oni." The cuts from the ropes that had covered her body suddenly healed.

Okita finally spoke, his humor gone. "Don't touch anything or anyone, and _don't_ try to run. It will only make your situation worse."

Hitomi nodded. "I have no reason to cause trouble for you."

Okita tied the girl's wrists together, well aware that she could break out of them. Clenching her tied wrists, he brought them up to her nape. Without letting go of her wrists, he grasped the collar of her kimono and lifted her so that her feet were a few inches off the ground. His grip was strong and painful, her kimono choking her. If Hitomi even had the choice, she wouldn't dare breathe.

The two men went with her into the main hall, where everyone was already waiting.

When the commander saw the way that Okita was handling the girl, his face changed from stern to concerned.

"What's going on?"

Gen-San spoke. "She broke out of her ropes."

"She what?"

Okita sighed. "She broke out of her ropes."

He released his grasp on the girl, letting her fall to the ground. She tried her best to conceal the fact that she was desperately gasping for air. After a moment, she sat firmly in seiza, directly across from a man who was obviously the captain.

Neither the commander nor his comrades could believe that a girl had broken out of Okita's ropes, yet they looked into the eyes of the two men and knew they were speaking the truth.

Hitomi recognized the man on the right of the captain as the same man from the previous night. He was referred to as the Demon, at least by Okita. He glared at the girl, though his glare didn't have the same effect on her as Okita's did.

A kind-looking man with shoulder length black hair and glasses sat on the commander's left. He smiled warmly at the girl, though she sensed more than just kindness from his eyes. They revealed longing. Sadness. Loneliness. More obvious than those feelings, however, was his curiosity towards the girl.

The unit captains sat in order of unit number behind them. Since Okita, the first unit captain, was behind her, that meant that the at the beginning of the line was Nagakura Shinpachi, the second unit captain. Next to him was Saitou, who had been present the night before. Next to him was the fourth division captain, Matsubara Chuji, followed by the fifth unit captain, Takeda Kanryusai. He didn't look very friendly. Next to him was Inoue Genzaburo, the sixth unit captain. Next to him was the seventh, Tani Sanjuro. Following him were Suzuki Mikisaburo and the very tall tenth unit captain, Harada Sanosuke. Hitomi had heard that he preferred fighting with his spear over his sword.

Okita was still behind her, firmly keeping her hands together and behind her back. Hitomi didn't struggle. Yamazaki, also present the night before, stood right outside the shoji doors, preventing both the girl from escaping and soldiers entering. He no longer was dressed in all black but in green.

The commander cleared his throat. "I am the commander of the Shinsengumi, Kondou Isami." He gestured to the man on his left, who was still smiling warmly. "This is Colonel San'nan Keisuke." San'nan gave a nod in greeting. Kondou turned to his right. "This is Hijikata Toshi-" He was interrupted by Hijikata.

"Are you seriously introducing us to the girl you're about to interrogate?"

Kondou cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry."

He looked up, he and Hitomi making accidental eye contact. Something about her gaze seemingly surprised him.

Hitomi shyly looked to the floor. Two tiny ants were walking across the floor in front of her, pushing a single grain of rice that was twice the size that they were. She watched them for a moment, intrigued by them for a reason beyond her knowledge. Perhaps it was because she realized that they, too, had a life. They had a soul. And they, too, fought for what it took to survive and care for their people. Though their load was only a tiny grain of rice, she knew that for them, pushing it across the floor took incredible strength and effort. Still, they managed to...

Okita's foot suddenly moved to squash them. Two living creatures- gone. Gone in less than a second. Killing them took no thought at all... it was all instinct. These ants hadn't even done anything wrong. She began to think of the ones that _she_ had killed. The soulless rasetsu from the night before was not her first. He was merely the newest addition to a list containing four members of her own clan. _No, no, _she thought, _I had a reason_. True, they had all attempted to kill _her_ first. .. Still, by attempting to kill her, they were merely standing up for what they believed was right... Did that mean she should have let them live? _No. They would have killed me, and I can't die. Not yet. _Feeling better about her past actions, she began to think about her mother's killer's reasoning. _What he did was wrong._


	3. Chapter 3- Interruptions

"You listening?"

The Demon Vice Commander's irritated voice brought the girl back to reality.

"I'm sincerely sorry, sir, I spaced out for a moment." She lowered her head as much as she could, being restrained by the first unit captain. "Please excuse my rudeness."

San'nan-San spoke, his voice warm. "Raise your head."

Hitomi obeyed, her eyes once again focused on the captain. Though she _was_ embarrassed, her face showed none of it.

The commander cleared his throat. "I'll start again."

"I truly am sorry." She only momentarily bowed her head slightly before fixing her gaze once more to the man in front of her.

He spoke. "What did you see last night?"

Hijikata-San sternly added, "Tell the truth or you die."

Hitomi's face revealed slight discomfort. To everyone else, this came across as fear, however Hitomi knew that the her expression was not a result of the man's threat. She never intended to lie, anyway. No, the discomfort was from the burning sensation in her arms.

"I was already on my way to your headquarters when I encountered the rasetsu."

Just like the rest, the unit captain on Hitomi's far right seemed confused. 'You were coming _here_?" he asked.

"Yes. I didn't exactly intend to meet the Shinsengumi in this manner..." She gave a short, silent laugh before turning serious once again.

The unit captain who spoke next was seventh from the girl's left, meaning he must be Toudou Heisuke, the Shinsengumi's eighth unit captain. He looked as though he was only 15 at the oldest, however Hitomi had heard in Edo that he was at least twenty. "_Why_ did you come here?" He asked.

Hitomi suddenly felt a wave of emotion. Helplessness. Loneliness... She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I had nowhere else to go..." Her eyes were misty. Okita rolled his eyes, still holding her in the same painful position.

Hitomi winced as searing pain split her arm once again. The commander saw this and ordered Okita to release her and sit. Her hands fell to the ground with a thump. Finally regaining feeling in her hands, she smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Rolling his eyes, he sat with the unit captains on Hitomi's far right. Once he sat down, he looked at the commander, annoyed. "Um, Kondou-San, can't she escape pretty damn easily now?"

Kondou-San opened his mouth, but Yamazaki was the one to speak. "I don't believe she will."

Okita looked into the girl's eyes, reading her thoughts. "Funny, Yamazaki, I actually agree with you on something." Even as he spoke, his eyes didn't leave the girl's. Earlier when the two had made eye contact, Hitomi broke down. This time, however, his eyes weren't intimidating. They were merely searching- and seemingly approving of what they saw. Suddenly a look of surprise and slight embarrassment flashed across his face, and he looked away. Hitomi did a double-take; did Okita's cheeks really just turn the color she thought they did? When she looked at him, however, all that showed on his face was apathy. It seemed to Hitomi that she was the only one who saw Okita's microexpressions.

Kondou-San cleared his throat. "So, why were you coming here?'

Despite the commander's best efforts, the conversation was interrupted once more.

The "Demon" Vice commander looked as though he had just remembered that headquarters were burning down. "Yamazaki! Head back to Masuya's! Furu- The owner will be wondering where you are. Shimada can't hold him off forever."

San'nan-San nodded. "Indeed. He will become suspicious if you are absent for too long. One does not usually spend so much time at the baths." Hitomi was suspicious. Yamazaki was most definitely _not_ at the baths. San'nan-san laughed before turning serious once again. "Return to your post."

"Very well, sir."

San'nan-san smiled slightly to himself. His fellow Vice Commander just glared at him. He obviously was mad that San'nan-San had just finished giving _his_ orders.

_What kind of relationship do these two have? _Hitomi wondered.

This time Kondou-san didn't even attempt to ask again. He just sat there, defeated.

Everyone seemed surprised when Saitou was the one to break the silence.

"I'll gaurd," he announced, standing up. He walked over to the door.

Hitomi decided to save the commander from repeating himself yet again. "I ran away from home. I'm also looking for somebody."


	4. Chapter 4- Pondering the Past

"_Why_ did you run away from home?" San'nan-San asked, his voice still warm.

"My father is abusive... My mother and stepmother are dead... My half sister's stepfather is missing. My home situation is a mess."

"What is your family name?" The commander was intrigued, though he wasn't sure why.

"Yoshida, sir. You must know, however, that I am not a born Yoshida. You see, my mother, Yukimura Masa-"

Everyone in the room gasped. Eyes narrowed. Despite this, the girl continued.

"Yes, Yukimura. I know of your connection with Koudou."

At that, Okita stood up and grabbed her again. No one objected to his violence.

It was as though Hitomi hadn't even realized that her wrists were once again at her neck. "I'm the result of my mother, Yukimura Masuko, being raped by Kazama Myou." Hitomi was mentally overcome by her frightening past as she explained who she was and where she was from...

June 23, 1855, Hitomi's eighth birthday:

It was a beautiful summer day, sun in the sky, butterflies hovering over the flowers. Hitomi was frolicking in the meadow near her home. Her younger four-year-old half brother, Kaoru, was busy attempting to make a flower crown for his twin sister, Chizuru, who was watching him intently. Their father, Hitomi's stepdad, had made them many times before. His steady, nimble fingers weaved the stems and leaves of the Tsubaki flowers into anything in a beautiful and fluent movement. To little Kaoru's disappointment, however, that was a talent he had yet to master.

One would not be able to tell by her cheerful personality, but a dark shadow constantly lingered behind Hitomi. As a baby, she had already been exposed to the evil of the world. She and her mother had been beaten and held captive by her father for three years. They escaped, and Hitomi's mother married Yukimura Haruo. The happy new couple had twins together, but Hitomi was never treated as mere half-family. After all, she and her mother had been through so much. What would they do without each other?

Despite their happy new life, they could never remove the mental scars. To reassure her, Hitomi's mother would often tell her stories about brave samurai, the samurai who protected society from the darkness that threatened to engulf the people. Kaoru and specifically Chizuru disliked these stories. They disliked the violent ideals of kenjutsu. They disliked the strict rules of bushido. They were confused by the extreme simplicity of wabi-sabi. They disliked the complicated nature of the human soul. All the two saw in these stories was the darkness that threatened to emerge. It terrified them.

Hitomi, however, _loved_ the stories. They were what helped her remain cheerful and optimistic despite her traumatic past. She had already known of the shadows that lurked in the human soul, waiting patiently for weakness. She focused on the bravery of the men who fought it. She admired them. She found her own strength through them. She was fascinated by the personality of the katana, and was often caught unsheathining her mother's swords to admire their undying beauty. She immersed herself in the unique shine of the sleek steel blade. In fear of Hitomi hurting herself, her mother soon moved the swords to a shelf beyond the girl's reach. In return, she promised that once she turned ten, she would be taught kenjutsu.

At a very young age, Hitomi was smart and brave. She was very philosophical, and found a deep meaning in everything. She felt a connection with the Earth. She was telepathic, especially with animals, and it was as though she could completely control the environment. When she was emotional, the wind would pick up. At first this was thought of as a coincidence, until one day when a six year old Hitomi longed to hold her mother's kodachi once again. As she sat on the floor, staring longingly at the swords, they softly floated off of the shelf and into her hands. She simply had to concentrate, and then she could move things as though she were pulling puppet strings. She soon learned that she was special, even among fellow oni. She had powers like no one else, and she treasured them.

All in all, life was pleasant for young Yukimura Hitomi, until that fateful day. She was running around in her yard with her family when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Her family continued playing, unaware of Hitomi's sudden fear until dark, threatening clouds appeared in the sky, indicating her worry. They blocked out the summer sun, and the air suddenly turned ice cold.

Her mother turned to face her. "Hitomi? What's wrong?" Her voice was calm, but little Hitomi could see the fear in her mother's eyes. Either she sensed danger as well, or it was merely a reaction to the intensity of her daughter's feelings.

Hitomi nearly looked as though she were possessed. She was no longer looking at her mother. In fact, her gaze wasn't exactly directed at anything in particular. She was searching through the mind of her fate. Her head tilted. "I- I d-don't know..."

Hitomi's eyes widened even further as her home erupted in flames.


	5. Chapter 5- Fighting in the Flames

Hitomi's stepfather gasped. Chizuru and Kaoru began to cry as they ran to their father. Hitomi didn't make a sound. She just sat there, eyes wide, pools of water ready to spill. Her only comfort her mother's hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly her the hand was gone.

"MASUKO!"

"_MOMMY, NO!_" Kaoru screamed as he watched his mother run towards the flames. Chizuru screamed louder, a sound that would forever remain in Hitomi's memory.

The eight year old ran after her mother.

_"HITOMI!"_

Hitomi entered her burning home. The atmosphere was thick with heavy, black smoke. Immediately, she thought of her powers. She focused, and found that she was able to push away the smoke and breathe in clean air using only her mind. Her mother, however, had no such luxury. Hitomi knew that she would need to find her quickly.

When she entered her parents' bedroom, she saw her mother holding her katana, engaged in combat with a mysterious samurai. He wore all black, the same color as his ponytail. He turned slowly, an evil grin splitting his face as he looked into Hitomi's terrified eyes. He seemed to be as unaffected by the smoke as Hitomi. Her mother, however, wasn't doing as well. Her eyes were watering, stinging from the smoke. Outside the door, Hitomi could hear her mother's gasps for clean air. She choked. "Hitomi..."

She lost to a coughing fit and collapsed, dropping her sword. The strange man just laughed at her as she lay on the ground. He kicked her in the ribs, hard. Yukimura Masuko was no longer just choking on smoke. She had broken ribs and was coughing up blood.

Hitomi would protect her mother. Closing her eyes, she sent the raging flames towards the intruder. He pushed them back. Hitomi was dumbfounded. _Does this man have the same powers that I do? _ The man was no less shocked by Hitomi's power. Though he managed to block the flames, his confusion gave Hitomi the time she needed to carry her mother to safety. No human child could even_ lift_ their mother, much less control flames with their mind to burn an escape hole in the wall. Thankfully, Hitomi was no ordinary human. She was an oni, and a special and spirited oni at that.

She placed her now unconscious mother at her father's feet. Haruo was unable to stop Hitomi before she ran back inside. There was more she had to do. _I have to get them! _she thought.

"What are you _doing_, Hitomi?!" Realizing that there was nothing he could do for his stepdaughter, Haruo knelt to tend to his wife. Kaoru and Chizuru held hands as tears coursed down their faces.

Hitomi once again entered the burning room. The man was waiting, and his smirk had returned. His hands immediately grasped the girl's throat, and no matter how hard she focused, she couldn't get air into her lungs. _There must be something else... I can... can do... _Her head throbbed. _Ugh! I- I can't... can't think like this..._ She looked down at the hand that would take her life. _This hand... I can't die now. This hand... I wish it'd just let go!_

She focused on the fingers around her neck. One by one, they let go. Hitomi fell to the ground. Despite her burning lungs, she stood up immediately. She was still focused on her mission, and had no time to waste. She closed her eyes, and her mother's kodachi floated into her small hands. She knelt to pick up the matching katana to find the samurai's own sword at her throat. The girl threw the Yukimura katana outside to protect it from the flames as she drew the kodachi, as it was closer to her size.

The intruder's cold smile grew wider as an inexperienced Hitomi took to a fighting stance.


	6. Chapter 6- It's Cowardly to Die

Not knowing how to lunge, Hitomi waited for her opponent's attack. The man didn't move. He just grinned at the young girl. Hitomi found that it became continuously harder to breathe clean air as she shifted her main focus to the man's movements.

She gasped. "I'm... Y-Yukimura Hitomi, of... the- the Yukimura Clan. I require the name of my mother's attacker."

He smiled, his teeth slightly revealed. "Your confidence is foolish, young Yukimura. You possess no skill to match your pride."  
>His voice was ice cold. His eyes were like daggers, pinning Hitomi's feet to the floor.<br>"Nevertheless, I cannot deny you your final wish. I'm Yoshida. Yoshida Toshimaro, of Choushuu."

Just then the sound of cannons erupted outside.

Taking advantage of Hitomi's surprise, he lunged. She managed to block his blade, but her strength was no match for this man. She felt herself being pushed back, each second finding herself closer to the ring of flames surrounding her and Yoshida.

_I'm an oni. I can teleport,_ she thought. _I can escape... But that would be cowardly._ Now a mere ten inches was all that separated the back of her kimono from the flames. She knew that concentrating on clearing the flames would simply give the man the moment's distraction he needed to plunge his sword into her heart. _I'm going to die,_ she thought. _I'm going to die._ Her eyes flooded with tears. _Mom... Dad... Chizuru... Kaoru... what will happen to them? Will they die as well? They can't die! **I** can't die! I have to help them! _Three inches...

_Wait,_ she realized. _Isn't it more cowardly to fear damaging my pride and let my family die... than to escape and help them?_ Just as the flower patterned corner of her favorite silk kimono caught fire, she disappeared from thin air.

Arriving in her yard, Hitomi realized that she had been so focused on the intruder that she had forgotten about the army of men surrounding her house with cannons. Just then, something burning licked the back of her left leg. She had nearly forgotten that her kimono was still on fire. She quickly put it out, and her leg healed. She looked around her. Her family was nowhere to be found.

Hitomi was desperate. She looked at the soldiers with a crazed look in her eyes. Not all of these men were Choushuu.

_"Why are you doing this?!"_ she shrieked.  
>She found that yelling felt powerful. It almost made up for the feeling of helplessness deep in her chest.<br>"We're members of the same clan! What did we do to you?!"

The soldiers didn't cease their fire. Hitomi ducked and covered her head. She fell to the side and found herself lying in fetal position on the ground. Her tears turned the dirt underneath her face to mud. Any bravery she possessed during her encounter with Yoshida was long gone.

Suddenly she heard her mother's voice.

"Hitomi! Hitomi, can you hear me?"

_"Mom?!"_

Masuko gasped. "Hitomi, you're alive?!"

Another cannon went off, it's projectile landing a mere six feet from the eight year old. The impact threw Hitomi into the air. She hit the ground with a resounding crack a few yards away.

"Gah!"

"Hitomi! Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said as she felt the tingling sensation of the bones in her arms healing.

"Hitomi, honey, we're over here!"

"I can't see you!" The smoke from the firearms had filled the air.

"I can't see you, either. You've just got to follow my voice!"

Hitomi was panicking, causing a downpour. As heavy raindrops hit her face and shoulders, she realized that the sudden rain didn't make it any easier for her to see. She became more and more frustrated, intensifying the storm. Lightning struck, hitting a few of the men behind the cannons. In a state of near insanity, she giggled as the skin of one of her attackers was singed and he crumpled to the ground.

The distinctive sound of a gunshot erupted in Hitomi's ears, and the feeling of a marble sized lead ball passing through her upper chest brought the girl back to reality.

"Ungh!"

Her back shattered. The bullet had just barely missed her heart, which would have killed her. The ball had rebounded off of her sternum, becoming lodged in her aorta, slowing the flow of blood. It had also hit a few of the main veins responsible for taking blood to and from the brain. Hitomi fell to the ground.

Hitomi's mother gasped. She ran to her daughter, who was now screaming in agony as her body healed itself around the metal ball. It was still lodged in her chest. Normally an oni wouldn't be slowed down by a bullet. As her body attempted to heal itself, however, Hitomi found that the sensation of her veins and arteries fusing to the foreign object in her chest was a different type of pain altogether. Her vision began to blur.

"Hitomi," Masuko whispered. _"KOUDOU!"_

The sound of her mother screaming this stranger's name and the sight of Yoshida's dark figure emerging from her burning home were the last things Hitomi remembered before blacking out.


	7. Chapter 7- Brave Girls Can Still Cry

Hijikata's eyes narrowed after hearing this particular part of Hitomi's story. Seeing his suspicion, she clarified. "Koudou saved my life."

The vice commander waved his hand as if he were shooing away a possible change of topic. "Just.. continue."

"Yes, sir." She took a deep breath as she plunged herself once again into the depths of her memories that she would rather forget.

Young Hitomi awoke to see a kind looking bald man kneeling next to her.

"My, my, Hitomi!" he said. "You gave us quite a scare!"

Her mother and stepfather were also there, as well as Kaoru and Chizuru. They all looked extremely relieved.

_Where am I?_, she wondered. She was lying on a cold stone floor. The air was damp. The only light was from a single lantern next to her. She realized that the top half of her kimono had been parted, exposing her chest. She quickly covered it back up. She sat up, only to find that the back of her kimono was soaked with blood. She felt a small hole in the silk.

"Uh-um," she stammered. "what happened?"

Her mother walked over to her as the mysterious man began to clean what what was clearly her blood off of a small, oddly shaped knife. Masuko sat down next to her daughter.

"You were shot, honey. The bullet got stuck in your chest. Your cousin, Koudou, here, just removed it."

"My cousin?" Hitomi didn't have any cousins. Her father was an only child. Her mother's sister, Yoshida Mikatsu, was unable to have children.

"Well, your tenth cousin twice removed."

Hitomi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Her mother laughed. "He's a relative, sweetie."

Koudou was packing up strange surgical instruments unlike Hitomi had seen before. He looked at the young girl with kind eyes. "Are you alright?" His voice was as warm as his caring smile.

"Oh! Yes!" She bowed. "Thank you very much for saving my life!"

He chuckled and put a hand on her head. "No problem. It's my job."

"Hitomi, honey," said her mother, "would you mind joining Chizuru and Kaoru? I need to talk to Koudou and Haruo alone. I realize you don't understand what's going on yourself, but can you please try to comfort them?"

Hitomi nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She did as she was told and sat in the corner with them, but she was nervous. Normally her mother told her everything, but this time she hadn't bothered to explain.

There wasn't much room for privacy in the tiny cellar they were in. Koudou, Masuko and Haruo stood in the opposite corner, whispering. Though they spoke as quietly as they could, Hitomi could make out some of what they were saying.

"...the humans..."

"...bloodthirsty..."

"...Choushuu..."

"...We're surrounded..."

"... heavily armed..."

"...grudge against our clan..."

Hitomi felt a poke on her shoulder. She jumped. Heart pounding, she turned around to see a worried looking Kaoru.

"U-um, I'm sorry, Hitomi," he said, surprised by his half sister's reaction. "What's wrong?'"

Hitomi forced a smile. "Nothing. Nothing, Kaoru. I guess I just spaced out." The truth was that Hitomi wasn't comforted by the thought of being surrounded by heavily armed, bloodthirsty, grudge-holding humans from Choushuu.

Hitomi felt Chizuru grab her hand. It was cold and sweaty. Or was that her own hand that was so clammy? Her younger sister's hand was trembling. Or was _she_ the shaky one?

Either way, her mother had asked her to keep these two calm, not eavesdrop on her private conversation. She turned once again to her siblings.

"Come here," she said, barely managing to keep her voice steady.

As she held them in her arms, her chest becoming wet from their silent tears, she found that she wouldn't be afraid as long as she had something to protect. So the three remained sitting that way. The cellar began to shake violently, rumbling as the cannons moved closer. Hitomi stroked Chizuru's hair as dust fell from the cieling. Hitomi used her powers to keep the air clean for her brother and sister. Kaoru clutched the silk of Hitomi's kimono as she rubbed his back.

Finally their mother walked over to them, her eyes misty. "Hitomi," she said, "I need to talk to you."

Koudou and Haruo joined the twins to keep them from overhearing their mother's conversation with Hitomi.

Sitting down in the opposite corner, Masuko took a deep breath.  
>"I need you to be brave for me, Hitomi. Keep calm. Your self control is one of your greatest strengths. Your greatest is your heart... Oh, Hitomi!"<p>

"What is it, mom?" Hitomi's mother was not one to be so emotional.

"We're under attack. Some humans from Choushuu wanted us to join their war. When we refused, well, they weren't too happy."

"We can fight them off, can't we?"

"I'm not sure we can. Hitomi, it isn't safe for us here anymore."  
>She cupped her daughter's cheek in her hand. Hitomi's face was wet with tears, but she remained calm.<br>"Hitomi, you and Chizuru and Kaoru can't live here anymore."  
>A heavy flow of tears pushed on Hitomi's eyes, but she didn't say a word.<br>"Kaoru will go to live with the Nagumo family from Tosa. Your stepfather knows them as very good and caring people. Chizuru will go to live in Edo with Koudou."  
>"We're being split up? Where will <em>you<em> go?" Hitomi whimpered, a steady strem of tears pouring from her eyes.  
>"Hitomi," said her mother, stroking her daughter's hair and avoiding her question, "you'll be living with aunt and uncle Yoshida in Edo. You know them. You'll be in Edo, so you'll be able to see Chizuru!"<p>

"But I won't be able to see Kaoru. Mom, where will you be?"

Masuko choked back tears. "I'll be with you, honey, in- in spirit." The tears pushed past their barrier, freely flowing down her face.

Hitomi found herself in her mother's arms. She couldn't cry. Perhaps it was because her mother told her to be brave, or maybe it was because she was in shock.

"I'll be brave for you, mom," she said. "I'll be brave forever."


	8. Chapter 8- Left to Die

"My mother left to fight the intruders. I never saw her again." Hitomi's face suggested that she was calm, however this was quite the opposite. Her mother was incredibly dear to her, through all these years.

Untouched whatsoever, Hijikata's impatient fingers drummed on his knee. Appearing mildly irritated, the vice commander scoffed.  
>"Is there <em>any<em> way you could speed this story up at _all_? I want to know who the hell you are, not your entire life story in full detail."

"Hey, Toshi..."  
>Hitomi was still getting used to the fact that the commander of the notorious Shinsengumi was such a sensitive man. Ignoring Kondou-San's awkward concern for her emotions, she decided to continue.<p>

"I apologize, sir. It is as you say. I should speed this up. It would appear that I've managed to put your eighth division captain to sleep."

Sure enough, the brown-haired youth was leaning heavily against the wall, muttering something about a geisha he met at a brothel in Nagoya. The second and tenth unit leaders kept glancing at him, trying in vain to conceal their amusement. Hijikata marched over to the back of the room, fuming. A quick punch from the demon gave Hitomi the young leader's full attention.

"Bastards!" Hijikata muttered as he sat himself once again to the right of the commander.

"I believe you still have yet to answer our question," stated San'nan-San. "Why are you here?"

"Kaoru, Chizuru, and I were sent to live with our new families. Kaoru joined the Nagumos in Tosa, and Chizuru and I went to Edo, she with Koudou and I with my aunt. When Koudou left for Kyoto, Chizuru lived with me and our aunt and uncle. Chizuru kept receiving letters from Koudou, but they stopped coming. She was worried, and I was suspicious. After knowing him for so long, I had the feeling that he was up to something when he left, and indeed he was. I learned about the rasetsu and the Shinsengumi through my penpal, Sen-hime, who actually lives here in Kyoto. She is the daughter of a close friend of my mother's, and other than being kind and fun to write to, i don't know much about her. Chizuru hasn't been told anything about the mess Koudou's made. She doesn't even know she's an oni. Hell, she doesn't even believe I'm her sister."

"And?" Hijikata was still unsatisfied with the girl's story.

"And... I came here for two reasons. One of those reasons is to find Koudou. Chizuru is worried sick. I want to help clean up the mess he's made, which feeds into the second, stronger reason why I'm here."

"And what's that?" San'nan-san was patient, though it was obvious that he wanted an answer.

"I want to join the Shinsengumi."

An awkward silence followed Hitomi's confession.  
>Finally, Nagakura spoke. "But... you're a girl..."<p>

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Nagakura-kun," said San'nan-San. "That is, however, a bit of a problem, Yoshida-kun. You see, we can't take a young woman into battle. It just isn't right."

"San'nan-San," Hijikata's voice was stern. "It also isn't right to worry about whether or not one can fight before deciding whether or not it's safe to let them live."

"Excuse me?" The calm man from only minutes ago was gone. Now San'nan-San was clearly angry, but more was going on beneath the surface than outwardly obvious. He seemed to be struggling, Hitomi thought. It seemed as though he was desperately trying to keep his head above rough waters, trying not to drown. Hijikata's argument threatened to crush San'nan-San's. San'nan-San was trying as hard as he could for his voice to be heard. "You're planning to kill this young woman? You consider that a justified approach?"

"I consider it necessary."

"She's innocent! She had nothing to do with what happened last night!"

"Actually, she had everything to do with last night. She's involved with Koudou, remember?"

The rest of the room sat in silence as the two vice commanders argued. Hitomi and Kondou-San shared the feeling of being trapped helplessly in the middle of the quarrel.

"She knows about the rasetsu. You think we can simply let her go? We can't trust her." Hijikata's eyes didn't leave San'nan-San's.

"I never said we'd simply let her go. Did it ever cross your mind that her affiliation with Koudou could be an important asset in our search for him?"

"Maybe, but if we don't kill her, what _do_ we do with her? Do you have a plan?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Exactly."

Hijikata had seemingly won the battle. San'nan-San stared straight ahead, his jaw set.

Kondou-San was silent for a moment. "I agree with San'nan-kun," he said, glancing at the man on his left. San'nan-San seemed relieved.  
>"We can't just kill an innocent civilian, and especially a girl at that."<br>He paused. "But Toshi's right."

It seemed as though no one noticed-or cared-when San'nan-San stood up and left the room. His absence left Hitomi feeling heavy from abandonment. After all, San'nan-San had been on her side when it seemed that no one else had.


	9. Chapter 9- Despondent and Depressed

"Saitou, Souji, take the girl back to her room."

"Very well, vice commander."

" 'Kay." Okita wasn't as formal as his friend.

Saitou grabbed the collar of the girl's kimono, forcing her to stand up. He then thrust her towards the door. She began to walk calmly to her room, Saitou's firm hand still grasping her collar. Okita followed closely behind. When they reached the door, Saitou opened it and pushed Hitomi to the ground.

"Don't try to run," he said. "It will only make your situation worse." He turned and left.

"If you run," added Okita, a twisted grin on his face, "we'll kill you." He turned to leave.

Suddenly he felt Hitomi grab his wrist, despite her own being tied together. Her strong grip came as a shock to him.

"Wait," she said, looking up at him. She hadn't bothered to completely pick herself up off the floor, but the look in her eyes intrigued Okita enough for him to stop.

"What?" His tone was condescending.

Hitomi hesitated. She didn't exactly know what to say now that she had Okita's attention.

_"What?" _

"I- I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" His tone was as cold as the glare in his eyes.

"I wanted to join the Shinsengumi for lots of reasons, but-"

The more his glare intensified, his already green eyes glowed a more profound shade of emerald. It was as though he found enjoyment and quite possibly strength in making others feel inferior. "Look, I really don't give a shit about why you want to bother us, so save your breath and-"

"I'm not here to bother you!" Hitomi realized that she was yelling. Okita raised an eyebrow. His eyes went from cynical to skeptical, their intensity fading as she continued. "Why would I walk all the way to Kyoto just to bother you? Why would I risk my life to bother you? Why would I abandon my little sister, risking her life as well, just to bother you? Who would do that?!"

Okita was silent.

"I already told you that I'm here to help. I realize I'm a girl, but give me a chance, will you?"

Okita blinked. "Look, I've gotta get back to the meeting." He stood up and left.

Hitomi sat in silence, mulling over her predicament. _What will happen if my plan fails? It's not exactly going well, _she thought. _It was stupid to think I even had a chance in the first place._ _They don't want me here. Even if they decide not to kill me, I'll be nothing more than a source of information to them. They'll never see me as a warrior._

Feeling defeated, Hitomi rested her head on her knees. _There's no place for me here. There's no place for me anywhere. I thought I'd found my home. How stupid of me.  
><em>

She lay down on her futon. She wanted to cry, however despite how much she wanted to, her eyes refused. Years of emotional torment had formed a barrier within her, trapping her feelings inside. Rather than being able to let them go, all of the girl's thoughts were kept outwardly invisible. They were left inside her mind to ferment, where they remained until her next untimely outburst, the severity of which was always beyond her control. Not all of these outbursts were negative like the way she had yelled at Okita. After all, it was a similar burst of passion that brought her to Kyoto in the first place. However, Hitomi was beginning to feel as though that, too, was a mistake. Her rash assumptions that a girl could simply walk in and join the Shinsengumi were feeling more and more stupid by the second. Women weren't even supposed to spill sake, let alone blood. Even if she wasn't female and nearly ten years younger than the ideal recruit, her powers were enough to make anyone hesitant to trust her. She knew too much, as well. She had been able to bring rationality back to three rasetsu when the captains of the Shinsengumi, who had been desperately trying to learn how to do just that, had failed to. It was no wonder that she was seen as a threat by these men. The feeling of regret in her stomach made her feel sick.

She shifted her position, unable to make herself comfortable with her wrists still tied behind her back. She glanced at the shoji doors of her small room and, sure enough, she saw the silhouettes of two men guarding her.

_It's not like I'm planning to escape or anything,_ she thought. She pulled apart her wrists, snapping the rope binding her. _They shouldn't mind too much._

She lay back down on the futon. After finally managing to make herself comfortable, the sound of paper doors being forced open caused the girl to jump. She sat up with a start.

"Get up. You're coming back to the main hall."  
>The Demon Vice Commander himself had come to fetch his prisoner.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10- The Crimson Thread of Fate

"I hope you don't mind," Hitomi said, looking down at her unbound wrists. "I was uncomfortable."

Hijikata sighed. "Just walk."

When they arrived once again to the main hall, San'nan had returned.

"Toshi," Kondou started as Hijikata seated himself next to him. "San'nan-kun and I were just discussing Yoshida-kun."

Hijikata flashed a glare at his fellow vice commander before seating himself once again to the right of Kondou.

San'nan looked at the floor. "Hijikata-kun," he started. "We have to find Koudou. This girl is our answer. I think you know that."

Hijikata scowled. "Ok, so say we DO keep her here. What the hell do we do with her? We'd have to sacrifice multiple captains who SHOULD be running their rounds and instead have them guard her. She's not an ordinary girl. I think_ you _know_ that._"

"Hijikata-kun," San'nan-San started again. "Didn't she say that she wished to join the Shinsengumi? She could act as an assistant to the captains. She could accompany them as they performed their duties so they could supervise her _while _they did their jobs.

Hitomi liked the idea. She smiled. Once again, San'nan-San was on her side. She wasn't sure why, but he was much more hesitant to kill her than anyone else in that room.

"I agree with San'nan-San in that we can use her. That's good and obvious," Okita said, looking at Hijikata. "However, I sure as hell don't want some psycho chic to have to babysit while I'm on patrol."

Hitomi turned slowly to look at the first unit captain, unsure she'd heard the words 'psycho chick' correctly.

"The rogue samurai are annoying enough," he continued, "I don't need her tagging along. She'd get in my way."

_Thank you SO much, Okita-San,_ Hitomi thought, rolling her eyes. _You're REEAALLLY helping out my situation here._

Hitomi wanted to ask Okita if he was always this rude, if she was really the annoying one at the moment. _'Do you, like, ENJOY making things complicated?' No, DEFINITELY don't say that, _she thought.  
>Instead, she muttered, "You really don't hesitate to announce EXACTLY what you think of people, do you?" She hadn't meant for <em>that <em>to slip out, either, but, well...

Okita just smiled. He turned to Hitomi, eyebrows raised. "And I see that _you_ don't hesitate to open your mouth, do you, Hitomi-_chan_?" The 'chan' was added mockingly, and in no way out of respect. He turned back to face the commander, his grin still plastered to his face. "I just don't think I'd want her to tag along and be a nuisance. Couldn't she stay somewhere where she _wouldn't _cause problems for all of us?"

San'nan sat in silence, as though he knew that Okita hadn't meant to oppose his idea. Kondou sighed. "Souji, that's enough."

Okita's smile disappeared immediately. He tried to look away, but Hitomi saw guilt in his eyes, something she hadn't expected from him, and something that _definitely _wasn't present after being scolded by Hijikata.

Unaware of his words' impact on Okita, the commander smiled. "I believe that no decisions should be final without Yoshida-kun's input."

Hijikata smiled warmly at the man on his left. Despite how he seemed to be against anything that would benefit Hitomi, he openly respected Kondou's compassion.

"Yoshida-kun," Kondou said, smiling. "Would you like to join the Shinsengumi?"

"Not as a full member, of course," added San'nan-San.

"Why is that, San'nan-kun?"

"Kondou-San, I-" San'nan was at a loss for words. "As a full member of the Shinsengumi, the Code is in place."

"Ah, right. We can't force those rules on her."

"I'm happy to follow any rules that are put in place by the leaders of the Shinsengumi."

"Ah, no, you don't get it," said the shortest captain. He was no longer sitting in his place by order of unit, but next to the tallest captain with red hair and another man who Hitomi remembered was the captain of the second division. The boy continued. "The Code of Conduct can't be taken lightly. You see, if you break a rule, well..."

"You're forced to commit seppuku," said the tallest.

The second unit captain next to him laughed suddenly. 'Ya, Sano here knows ALL about that.. You should see his-"

"Not now, Shinpachi. Seriously."

Hitomi decided that whatever part of Sano it was that Shinpachi wanted her to see, she rather wouldn't.

Shinpachi stopped smiling. "Seriously, though, if you break one of those rules, no matter your position, you've gotta gut yourself."

"I can't imagine that these rules would be unreasonable." Much to everyone's surprise, the thought of honorable suicide didn't faze Hitomi. "What are they?"

Hijikata sighed. "One, you must not deviate from Bushido. Two, desertion will not be tolerated. Three, the raising of private funds is prohibited. Four, you are forbidden from taking part in others' litigation, and five, private fights, as with all other misconducts mentioned, is punishable by sepppuku- without fail."

"Got it," said Hitomi. "They don't sound hard."

Kondou looked Hitomi in the eyes. "Your enthusiasm is commendable, but you're still a girl. I can't put that burden on you. So for now, you aren't an official member. But if you want to help, there's plenty for you to do. I'm looking forward to your service." He gave a quick bow, and Hitomi was finally starting to feel as though she had accomplished something big.


	11. Chapter 11- Patrol

At first, Hitomi was still confined to her room. However, she was eventually put to work. Washing dishes and beating rugs while the men patrolled Kyoto wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but she was just happy to be alive. She would have to prove herself useful, and scrubbing the hell out of the dojo floor was definitely one place to start.

The first few weeks were calm like this. Hitomi occupied the empty room next to Okita, and after Hijikata and San'nan left on duty, she began eating in the hall with the captains. Aside from at mealtimes, Hitomi didn't talk to the others much. Occasionally Heisuke would flash her a friendly smile, Harada would nod in acknowledgement, Saitou would deny her existence, or Okita would generally be an ass. Nothing out of the ordinary.

One night, as Hitomi was serving the delicious Yakizakana that Saitou had prepared, she noticed that, along with Hijikata and San'nan, Inoue was also missing.

"Just leave his food there, Yoshida-kun," Kondou said. "He'll be here momentarily."

"Okay." She placed his fish on the plate before serving the rest of the captains. Just as she sat herself down, however, Inoue opened the door, a grim look on his face.

"I have bad news."

Okita was the first to react. "What happened, Gen-San?"

He looked around as everyone held their breath. "San'nan-San was injured."

"Is it serious?!" Heisuke was no longer seated.

Inoue sat down. "His life is not in danger. But it is unclear if he will be capable of using a sword again."

"Oh my God..." It was all Hitomi could say.

A few nights later, as they were eating dinner once again, Hijikata and San'nan returned, only for the colonel to insist he wasn't hungry and return to his room.

Hitomi was eventually allowed to go on patrol with the first and third units. She figured Hijikata had chosen these captains to supervise her for one reason- if it became necessary to kill her, Okita and Saitou would not hesitate.

"You're to follow every order you receive, no matter how strange," Hijikata had told her the night he gave the news.

"Understood," Hitomi said, trying to conceal her childish excitement.

As if the vice commander doubted her sincerity, he clarified: "If they say jump, you jump, if they say run, you run, if they say die, you die. Got it?"

"Yes sir."

"Souji," Hijikata started as he began to leave the room, "don't tell her to die."

"Damn," Okita said, his sarcastic smile filling one side of his face. "I was really looking forward to that."

Her duties while on patrol were simple. Aside from dying when told to die, she was to keep an eye out for her uncle, Yukimura Koudou. She was kept alive for this one reason, as she would be able to recognize him more easily in the busy streets of Kyoto.

Though Chizuru only saw who she thought was her father as a kind man, Hitomi saw the power hungry side of him. After the destruction of the Yukimura clan, power was all he could think about. Always sneaky and secretive, always making certain that his adopted daughter would never learn the truth. As a young, traumatized child, Chizuru had built up her denial until she no longer knew she had a brother or a sister, that she ever knew her mother, that she had a different father. She forgot completely that her clan was destroyed. And most importantly in Koudou's mind, she did not know of the existence of oni. "When the time comes," he would always say when Hitomi asked to tell her the truth. Until then, Hitomi would remain to Chizuru nothing more than a friend. Nothing more than a friend who came to her part of Edo after her mother's death. Though it wasn't her mother who had died. After all, Hitomi's mother, whom she shared with Chizuru, had died when Hitomi was eight. It was her aunt who had died. Hitomi had been living alone, searching for her sister since age eleven. When she was thirteen she found her- only to find that her beloved little sister had no memory of her.

July eighth, 1864 began as a calm but very hot day. With the heat showing no mercy, Hitomi tried her best to keep everyone cool. She had always been able to regulate her own temperature by blocking the heat with her powers. She attempted to do this for the others whenever she could. If she hadn't had her powers, she was sure she would have been much more reluctant to go on patrol with Okita early that afternoon.

Conversation was nearly nonexistent on patrol. Saitou would never say more than "yeah" to smalltalk, and Okita would tell Hitomi to shut up. No matter how much of a jerk Okita was to Hitomi, however, she couldn't bring herself to dislike him. Maybe it was the way his eyes always held a kinder personality, but Hitomi knew that all Okita thought of her was as a nuisance. After all, who would feel comfortable befriending an oni like her?

After breaking up a fight between a few of his men and three rogue samurai, Okita's eyes fixed on a strange man being overly cautious as he walked quickly into Masu-ya's, a coal shop located in between the teahouse and butcher shop.

"What do you suppose is in that barrel he's carrying?" Hitomi asked.

"Doesn't look like coal," Okita replied. "We've had our eyes on these guys for a while, but that barrel looks like it holds gunpowder."

After noticing that he was being watched by the Shinsengumi, the man straight out ran into the shop.

"Can you get any more suspicious?" Okita smiled. "These idiots need to work on their acting."

Okita led his unit with purpose towards Masu-ya's.


	12. Chapter 12- Orders and Oppurtunity

"You infiltrated Masu-ya's without orders?" San'nan asked in disbelief.

"I had no choice. I saw a Choushuu run in there holding an entire BARREL of gunpowder. We found over twenty more of them in their storage room."

"That's not the point," the colonel said. "We could have received information from Furutaka if you hadn't exposed him as a spy so quickly."

Okita was ready with a smartass response. "That's funny. I thought that's what Hijikata-San was doing right now- getting information out of him."

"More like cutting information out of him," Hijikata said as he entered the room. "But his mouth is plastered shut. He'll bleed out before he talks." He sighed. "Where's Saitou?"

"Hajime-kun?" Heisuke asked, confused. "He's in the North courtyard, why?"

Okita laughed quietly. When he was met with Hitomi's look of confusion, he merely said, "With a past like Hajime-kun's, he's bound to have some knowledge of some badass torture methods." He resumed smiling sadistically.

A few minutes later, Hitomi saw Hijikata enter the Yagi family's storehouse- where Furutaka was being hung by his ankles- carrying multiple blades and candles. Hitomi shuddered at the thought of being sliced by hot knives. Even for an oni, a wound inflicted by a hot blade hurt more and took longer to heal than a wound given by a cold blade. The screams that came from the storeroom following Hijikata's return did not come as a surprise to Hitomi.

It was the hour of the rooster when the vice commander exited the storeroom. "Furutaka's dead," he said, his voice as cold as steel. "But he talked."

"What'd he say?" Harada asked, worried by the grim frown on the vice commander's face. Not that he was usually smiling, but now one could nearly see worry in his eyes.

"Get everyone in here." Hijikata sat down. The room sat in silence until Saitou returned with Koundou, Heisuke, and Shinpachi. Okita, Harada, and Inoue were already in the room.

Hijikata took a deep breath, something Hitomi felt he needed to do more often. When he looked up, all that could be seen in his eyes was determination. "The Choushuu plan to set fire to Kyoto."

"What?" Koundou was on his feet. "Why?"

"They plan to kidnap the emperor while everyone else is losing their shit. We have a few men from the second unit guarding the weapons at Masu-ya, but now I'm unsure it'll be enough."

"What do you mean by that?" Harada asked.

"I mean," Hijikata replied, "that now that we have Furutaka, I wouldn't be surprised if that pyromaniac Yoshida decided to go through with the plan tonight."

_Yoshida._

It was the hour of the dog when the available soldiers set out in two groups: Hijikata would take twenty-four men, including Saitou and Harada to Shikoukuu-ya. This left Koundou with only ten men, though he took Okita, Heisuke, and Nagakura. His smaller group would go to Ikeda-ya, since there was less of a chance that the Choushuu would be meeting there. Hitomi would stay behind with San'nan, who couldn't fight with his injured arm, and the remaining soldiers, who were all out with stomachaches.

The night was painfully calm. Hitomi wanted nothing more than to be a part of the battle. Instead, she sat with San'nan as he began to explain the political position of the Shinsengumi and why the Choushuu had to be arrested. Much to his surprise, Hitomi knew all of this. She showed an interest in politics stronger than most of the captains. What began as a simple explanation of the circumstances evolved into a political discussion that made San'nan smile sincerely for the first time after being injured.

He must not have anyone around here interested in his political views, she thought. No wonder he feels as though he isn't needed.

The door opened suddenly, revealing Yamazaki. "First Sergeant," he said. "They're meeting at Ikeda-ya."

"I've made a horrible mistake," San'nan sighed. Hitomi wondered how the situation was his fault.

"I'll inform Lieutenant Hijikata at once," Yamazaki said, bowing to leave. Before he raised his head, however, San'nan spoke.

"Take Yoshida-kun with you." San'nan flashed Hitomi a small smile. It was as though he knew what Hitomi wanted- and was giving her the chance to prove herself.

"With all due respect, sir," Yamazaki began, "I am capable of delivering the message on my own."

"Who knows what could happen?" San'nan objected. "There's a higher chance of the message getting through if you both go."

"I understand."

San'nan directed his gaze at Hitomi. "You'll go, won't you?"

"Of course," she replied. She would finally have her chance to fit in.


	13. Chapter 13- Conflict and Confrontation

After receiving from San'nan a Shinsengumi haori to avoid being targeted by the Shinsengumi's rank and file soldiers, Yamazaki and Hitomi ran towards Shikkoku-ya, only to be confronted by five men who smelled strongly of Choushuu.

"Yoshida," Yamazaki looked as though he was speaking reluctantly. It had become clear, in not long at all, that Yamazaki was not particularly fond of Hitomi. "You go on." His voice had dropped to a whisper. "I can take care of these bastards."

"Understood."

"Don't think this means I trust you. But deliver that message as though your life depends on it. My comrades' lives do. Now go."

Yamazaki lunged, the sounds of his katana clashing with the enemy's filled the humid night air. Hitomi didn't look back. She ran as quickly as she could, manipulating the elements to aid her. Once she was out of sight, she disappeared with the wind, arriving very close to Hijikata's location at the same time she left. She ran the rest of the way to avoid time-consuming suspicion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The vice commander's eyes were as stern and cold as his tone. It had been made clear that Hitomi was not welcome.

"The Choushuu are at Ikedaya. I was asked to relay this message."

"What?" Harada's hand tightened its grip on his spear.

"Koundou-San has already started the raid," Hitomi said calmly. "There were more Choushuu present than expected. We're short on men. I want to help."

"Don't-" Hijikata started, only to be interrupted.

"Sir, I can assure you that I'm quite capable. Please let me fight."

"Dammit," he said. "You sound just like Souji before we left for Kyoto." The demon hesitated. "Don't make me regret this. I don't have time to argue with you. Don't expect us to save your ass if you get cocky."

Hitomi bowed quickly. "Yes sir. Thank you very much!"

With that, Hijikata's group and Hitomi ran towards battle.

The scent of freshly-spilt blood could be detected three blocks away from the Ikeda-ya. Once arriving at the scene, however, the smell combined with the humid air was enough to make breathing difficult. No matter how hard Hitomi fought it, she couldn't help but remember her eighth birthday, the day her home and family were destroyed. With Yoshida Toshimarou being the leader of the Choushuu extremists, there was almost no doubt that he would be present at Ikeda-ya. This thought filled Hitomi with a new determination. Not only would she have a chance to prove herself as a capable soldier to the Shinsengumi, but she now had the opportunity to show Yoshida Toshimarou and herself that she wasn't a coward.

Without an explanation to Koundou or the others, she ran upstairs, killing one Choushuu man as she went. Heisuke and Okita were the only Shinsengumi upstairs, and were therefore outnumbered. This, however, didn't seem to matter. They were incredible swordsmen.

"Hitomi?! Why are you here?" Heisuke was nearly cut down as he gaped at the girl, but she killed the enemy before he had the chance.

"I'm here to help," she said.

Okita only glared at her as he searched almost hungrily for his next victim.

"I'm gonna help out some more downstairs," Heisuke said. "I think we're done up here."

"Suit yourself," Okita said. He approached a room. When he opened the rice paper door, Hitomi found herself facing a man - a man she hadn't seen in eight years. She had found the one she was looking for.

"You…" She couldn't control the sadistic smile growing on her face.

Okita glanced at Hitomi. "You know this punk?"

Ignoring him, she stepped closer to her enemy, katana still drawn. However, rather than attacking, she sheathed it.

"You have _no clue_ what you're doing, do you?" Okita asked, amused.

"Oh, I know _very _well what I'm doing." She didn't even blink as she drew her short sword. "Yoshida Toshimarou," she said, "Tonight I kill you with my mother's kodachi- the kodachi I fought you with eight years ago!"


	14. Chapter 14- Rage and Resolution

Hitomi didn't blink as she drew her short sword. "Yoshida Toshimarou," she said, "Tonight I kill you with my mother's kodachi- the kodachi I fought you with eight years ago!"

With that, the shadowy man began to laugh. "You mean that fight you ran from like a half-assed coward?"

"I had my family to protect. I swear on the Yukimura Clan's memory that tonight, I won't run. Tonight, you die."

Hitomi launched herself at her opponent. Okita crossed swords with another rebel. As that man fell, however, he noticed that, to his surprise, the girl wasn't dead yet. In fact, she appeared to be winning. Okita joined her.

"Okita-San," Hitomi said, "I'm pretty sure there's another man in the next room. I can handle this one."

"Hitomi, you seriously think I'll let you hog this one all for yourself?"

"I don't think you get it," the man said. "This isn't your fight." With that, Yoshida Toshimarou's eyes flashed a brilliant shade of gold. With only his mind, he sent Okita flying across the room before hitting the wall with a loud thud.

"Bastard…" Okita's eyes seemed to glow a brighter shade of emerald in his anger. As he attempted to stand, however, weakness broke through. He coughed- and blood fell through his fingers to the floor.

"Okita-San!..."

"I'm fine. Okita didn't take his glare off the man.

Hitomi fought the angry tears threatening to escape her eyes. The situation was all to similar- too reminiscent of her mother's suffering. Without thought, Hitomi used the power of her anger to send Yoshida into a wall.

He rose, uninjured. Hitomi had failed to focus and had let her emotions consume her control.

"Yukimura," Yoshida said as his eyes turned gold, his long, black hair turned white, and four horns appeared on his head. "You should have died eight years ago with the rest of your pathetic clan."

Hitomi's now golden glare met his. "The only pathetic clan around here is yours, Yoshida. You claim to respect the emperor when all you really seek is personal power. You destroyed my family just because we refused to join your pathetic war. My mother… my whole family- all they wanted was peace. You're fucking cowards who lack any sense of empathy whatsoever. Put simply, you make me sick."

She launched herself at him, only to be pushed back. Okita stood and tightened his grip on his sword. While Hitomi was momentarily distracted by his shallow breaths, Yoshida turned to face Okita. Hitomi disarmed him, breaking his sword in two. Within an instant, however, he had drawn his own kodachi and was aiming at the girl's heart. She was unable to fully block his thrust, and his short sword made a deep cut down her abdomen. As she fell to the floor in pain, Okita, despite his own injuries, made his own attack. His enemy excelled in raw power, but Okita was smart. He correctly predicted his opponent's moves and managed to cut off his left arm, only for it to grow back immediately. Yoshida Toshimarou kicked him in the chest yet again, sending him on his back in a corner, his sword beyond his reach. His wet, tearing coughs persisted, and the more blood he lost the weaker he became. Yoshida raised his sword.

Hitomi ran to Okita's aid, her wounds healed. Yoshida and her swords clashed. "Okita-San," Hitomi panted, "don't you dare move."

Much to her surprise, he obeyed. Hitomi's blood went cold. Okita wasn't one to take orders from someone like her, and he definitely wouldn't stay out of a battle. He simply didn't have the strength to fight.

Hitomi pushed Yoshida back. He returned from the blow by thrusting his kodachi at Hitomi's chest. She blocked at the last second, forcing his sword to his side. He raised his blade, only for it to fall in the ground. He looked down at Hitomi, now wearing a tearful smile. Her mother's wakizashi was in his heart.

"Yu-kimura.." he sighed, color fading from his eyes.

"As I said, Yoshida, you make me sick." Hitomi was glaring at him again. "My aunt told me, you know. Before you murdered her, too. You betrayed and killed our family in your selfish search for power. You killed my mother, my stepfather, and as far as I know, you very well could have murdered Kaoru. But you're not killing Chizuru, and you've failed to kill me. It's over, uncle."

"Yukimura."

"What?"

"You're going to hell."

And with that, he fell to the floor.

Hitomi looked into the dead man's eyes. "That's why I don't plan on dying." She took a breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okita-San, are you alright?"

When she turned around, however, Okita was no longer there.


	15. Chapter 15- Brother

Okita was no longer in the corner. Frozen in place, Hitomi looked around. Wondering where he was, she almost didn't notice as the pool of warm blood reached her feet.

_He's gone,_ she thought. _He's finally gone._

That was when she heard Heisuke's scream followed by a loud crash.

"What the hell?!" She tried to identify where the sound was coming from. She didn't expect to hear Okita's voice.

"What the hell are you?"

"Hm. I believe you've met one of us already. I'd like her back."

Hitomi went numb as she realized to whom Okita was speaking. She recognized that slow, deep voice. She ran into the room, only for her suspicions to be confirmed.

"Chi- Chikage…" Hitomi's arm began to bleed heavily. This time, however, it didn't heal.

_Not again, _she thought as she clutched her arm. She knew that when her emotional scars became too much, her powers attempted to make a physical outlet- a cut in her arm. In certain situations, watching it bleed helped her cope. But in battle, it did the opposite.

"Pathetic." Kazama Chikage watched as the blood soaked through the sleeve of Hitomi's kimono. His sharp red eyes served as a blade to deepen the wound. Hitomi screamed in agony.

"This human is more capable of fighting me now than you, Hitomi. There is no greater dishonor."

"I can damn well fight you, you son of a bitch!" Hitomi lunged; however, looking into his eyes only made her wound deeper, longer, and far more painful. An invisible blade had already cut through her muscle, making her bones visible beneath the blood that filled her wound.

Suddenly Okita came to her aid. His sword clanged against Kazama's. However, the man was stronger than Okita could have predicted. He was beginning to find it increasingly difficult to remain standing.

Hitomi watched for a moment, stunned. She felt weak. She was supposed to be the oni. However, Okita was forced to save her, despite the fact that he was still coughing up blood. He no longer had the strength to counter Kazama's attacks. He fell to the floor, gasping for air. Hitomi felt as though she couldn't move. After all, when it came to Kazama Chikage, she had always been helpless in the past. "_Pathetic"_ was all that echoed in her head.

Kazama's foot came into contact with Okita's chest. Okita was incapable of defending himself as his chest was crushed beneath the strength of a pureblooded oni. He could no longer glare at his enemy. All he did was wince in pain.

_"Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic." _The word continued to repeat in her head.

_"What is strength,"_ Hitomi wondered, _"if it can be stolen in only a short moment of weakness?"_ She looked at her arm, then to Okita, tears welling in her eyes.

_"Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. You're pathetic. And now Okita-san's going to die, and it's going to be your fault. You're pathetic. You should never have been born." _Suddenly the air was filled with a blood-curdling scream. It didn't stop until Hitomi realized it was coming from her mouth. Nearly blinded by tears, she stood up. She lunged, sword aimed at Kazama's chest.

"You missed, Hitomi.

She cleared her eyes to see her katana caught in Kazama's hand. He pushed it, forcing the girl back. He inched closer to her. Before he could make a move, however, Okita's arm separated Kazama from Hitomi, his sword at Kazama's throat.

Through labored breaths, Okita managed to speak. "You're fighting me, right? Leave the girl alone. I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch her."

"Fool. As you are, you couldn't even serve as a shield to protect her."

"I'm not totally useless yet!"

Kazama's lips curled into a condescending smile. "Hitomi, I'll let you go for now. If I wanted to play with two pathetic humans, I'd have joined the fight downstairs. I'll be back. And next time, you die."

Kazama disappeared with the night breeze.

"What... the hell?" As Okita began to cough again, he fell to his knees as blood stained the tatami mat beneath hm.

"Okita-San-"

"I'm fine!"

"It's quite apparent you're not. Lie down. I'll get help. Heisuke's up here again, isn't he?"

"Oh yeah, sure. He's in the next room. He's hurt real bad, though. Worse than me. Go play doctor with him." His derisive tone was weak. Every breath he took sounded painful.

"I'm checking on Heisuke. You'd better still be here when I get back." Hitomi turned to leave, but she stopped at the door and walked back over to Okita.

"_What_?" He directed his gaze at the girl. In his eyes, however, Hitomi saw so much more than anger. Whenever she looked into his eyes, she felt as though she was staring into his soul. This understanding of his emotions only made Hitomi feel more drawn towards Okita. She felt as though they were connected somehow...

"_What?" _Okita's voice brought her back to the present.

"You'll stay here this time?"

"I only left because I heard someone in this room."

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute."

Sure enough Heisuke was lying against the wall, motionless. Just then, the moonlight shone through the cloudy night sky, its light revealing a large gash on his forehead. Copious amounts of blood poured down his face.

"Heisuke-kun!" She ran to him, using one hand to check his pulse and the other to attempt to stop the profuse bleeding.  
>"Thank God you're alive..." Hitomi looked around, but of course there was no one there to help her. She needed to get help, but she couldn't leave him - he'd bleed out. In a state of urgency, she tore off a strip of fabric from the sleeve of her kimono and wrapped it tightly around his forehead. As Hitomi made her way back to Okita, she came face to face with Hijikata.<p>

"What the hell happened?" His cold eyes could not hide the fact that he was concerned. "I shouldn't have let you come."

"Okita-San and Heisuke-kun were injured," Hitomi said.

She led him to Okita. Upon seeing them enter the room, he stood up abruptly, pain evident on his face. Without a word, Hitomi used her powers to force him back into a sitting position. Okita directed a sharp glare at her.

"Hitomi, what are you doing?" Hijikata looked at Okita, who had wiped away the blood from his mouth. Despite being frighteningly pale, he appeared to be fine. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing-" Okita started, but he was interrupted by Hitomi.

"Sir, he's trying to kill himself." She glanced at Okita, who flashed her an admonishing glare. Ignoring it, she spoke. "Yoshida Toshimaru, the leader of the Choushuu extremists and the man who killed my parents, attacked him. He may have broken ribs."

Hijikata glanced quickly at Okita before his eyes fell to the gash in Hitomi's kimono. "Were you injured, too? What exactly- Dammit, Souji, sit down."

Okita sighed, turned, and walked back to where he had been before and sat down.

"Yoshida attacked me, as well. I'm fine," Hitomi replied. "It healed."

Hijikata scoffed. "Something tells me your entire story is bullshit, and this time I'm not just talking about the oni crap." He turned briefly to Okita. "Where is this Yoshida?"

"Hitomi killed him," Okita said, gesturing to the body in the next room.

Hijikata examined him for a moment. "Where's the other one?"

Hitomi looked to the ground. "He escaped, sir."

"Who was he?"

"An oni."

"Do you know him?"

Hitomi looked away. "We should check on Heisuke."

Hijikata glared at Hitomi before following her to the other room. As they walked in, Heisuke's eyes slowly opened.

"Heisuke!" Shinpachi burst into the room. "What happened?"

Heisuke gave a weak laugh. "I got punched in the face. What does it look like? Dude broke my headguard with his fist..."

"Sounds like a buddy of Kazama's," Hitomi muttered, not expecting Hijikata to hear. Before he could say anything, however, Heisuke laughed again.

"Shinpat-San, there are three of you." He giggled uncontrollably.

"Hijikata-San," Nagakura said, "I think he hit his head pretty hard."

"He must have. I don't think the world could handle three of you. Bring up two stretchers," Hijikata said to Nagakura. He turned to Hitomi. "You stay with Souji. If you leave that room, I'll kill you. You're once again confined to your room. We'll decide what to do with you in the morning. You fucked up. It's over."

Hitomi lowered her head. "Yes, sir."

Hitomi sat next to Okita, who had finally agreed to lie down.

Hitomi laughed. "Now if Hijikata-San kills me tomorrow, at least I can end my life knowing I offed Yoshida." A single tear fell to the floor beneath her.

"Hitomi?"

"Okita-San, you should rest." She didn't lift her head from her knees.

"Thanks, Hitomi."

Hitomi faced Okita, eyes wide, tears still streaming down her face.

"Thanks for not telling him." Okita was no longer looking at her.

"What? That you coughed up ten percent of your blood supply?"

Okita blinked, then turned to face the wall again. "You're exaggerating."

"Not much," Hitomi replied. "Can I check to make sure you didn't break any ribs?"

"Sure, I don't care."

As she began to feel his chest, however, he started coughing again, flecks of blood staining his lips.

"Nothing's broken," Hitomi said. "But there's probably internal bruising or something."

"I just don't want to have to be carried back. I'm fine."

"Thank you for protecting me, Okita-San. He would have killed me if you weren't there." Hitomi laughed again. "But I'm gonna be killed tomorrow."

"No you won't."

"Okita-San?"

Just then, Hijikata walked in, followed by two men with a stretcher.

"Hijikata-San," Hitomi said, unable to look him in the eye. "I think Okita-san should be okay to walk back. He doesn't have any broken ribs. He'll probably be fine when the bruise heals."

Hijikata stared at Okita. "Fine."

"Hitomi," Okita started once the vice commander left the room. "Why'd you do that for me?" He sat up.

Hitomi sighed. "Even though I'm a girl, I'm a samurai, too. I understand how humiliating it would be to be carried away from a battle."

Okita laughed. "And that's without mentioning the humiliation from getting your ass saved by a girl." He stood up and began to exit the room. However, he stopped at the door. "Even if that girl's a badass like you." He looked back at Hitomi, but quickly looked away when he realized she was blushing. He examined the room as Hitomi handed him his swords. "Aizu'd better pay for the damages, or we'll be dealing with one extremely pissed innkeeper."

"Then again," Hitomi said, "Choushuu sympathizers deserve no compensation."

Okita laughed. He proceeded to lead his unit back to headquarters with no apparent struggle, as seen by Hitomi, who followed closely behind.


	16. Chapter 16- Aftermath

Despite the Ikedaya raid being an overwhelming success, it did not come without consequences. One man died fighting outside the inn, and five Shinsengumi were injured. Okita had received a powerful blow to the chest, and Heisuke a powerful blow to the head. Nagakura's hand was cut, and two soldiers received serious sword wounds. While Hitomi successfully healed Nagakura and the two lower ranking members, Okita and Heisuke's injuries were more complicated.

Against their will, Okita and Heisuke spent the week following the Ikedaya raid in bed. While Hitomi had been able to heal Heisuke's wound once she had been able to clear her mind, Hijikata had ordered him to rest since he still showed signs of having a concussion, and it was 'seriously beginning to creep him out.' Heisuke would either be unable to _stop_ talking, or he would simply stare silently into space with an extremely disturbing vacant look in his eyes, his jaw hanging open. Sometimes he would smile, and that smile would grow slowly until he burst into manic laughter. He would then usually apologize, complain of a headache, and then fall back to sleep. Despite everyone being worried for his sanity, Yamazaki assured everyone that as long as Harada would quit whacking him in the head each time he spaced out, he would recover in a few days to a week.

Okita, on the other hand, hadn't been able to laugh. Even if he could do so without causing himself immense pain, he would still be depressed. If there was anything Hitomi fully understood about him, it was that he couldn't stand boredom. For the next few days, if Okita didn't move carefully, whatever internal wounds he had sustained would open slightly, causing him to cough up small amounts of blood. When this happened, it caused even more pain and there was nothing Hitomi could do. Just like with Heisuke's and San'nan's injuries, Okita's was internal and Hitomi could not use her powers to heal it. She couldn't move things she couldn't see, and this fact ate at her each time she saw Okita wince. The adrenaline was gone, and only pain remained. If he couldn't move and couldn't laugh, he remained bored. He developed a large, dark bruise on his chest, which he did his best to conceal.

Hitomi spent much of her free time in his room when he allowed it. However, these visits didn't seem to help. Hitomi wasn't a friend to him, so they had nothing to talk about. Most of all, Okita didn't want to be seen as weak.

If there was a second thing Hitomi knew about Okita, it was that he never failed to smile when he saw a cat, and Hitomi could understand why. Cats are a lot like people, just much cuter and much less complex. Surely enough, the time she visited with a cat in her arms, a part of Okita seemed to come back to life.

"Why do you spend so much time in here?" Okita asked once the cat had fallen asleep on his lap.

"I don't know," Hitomi answered, but she knew very well. She felt as though being near him would give her the courage to thank him. After all, he stood up for her three days prior when, as he would say, it would have been easier just to kill her. Her mind wandered away from the bloodied laundry in front of her to the events of the early morning following the Ikedaya incident.

* * *

><p><em>Hitomi, still in her torn kimono from the night before, was being led by Hijikata to Okita's room. Despite having only a few short hours of sleep, Okita was already awake. He sat up as soon as the girl and the vice commander entered his room, perfectly concealing the pain he must have felt in his chest by doing so. Just like Hitomi, he had not bothered to change out of his bloodstained clothes before falling asleep. His eyes drifted toward her bound wrists.<em>

_"Sit down." Hijikata's glare didn't waver as he ordered Hitomi. "Souji," he said, "how are you feeling?"_

_"I'm fine. Why's she here?"_

_"She's supposed to be in confinement, but I need you two to confirm some things. Who killed Yoshida Toshimaru?"_

_Okita's eyes briefly met Hitomi's, but she quickly looked away. Okita had no reason to protect her. Hijikata could order any of his men to kill her if Okita spoke badly of her. While Hitomi could escape being killed by them, she would never be able to work with them again. She wouldn't find Koudou. She wouldn't have the chance to be a righteous samurai like those in the stories her mother read her. She would never amount to anything anywhere else. She couldn't lose this._

_"She killed Yoshida," he said. Hitomi's eyes widened._

_"She did? You saw it?" Hijikata looked to Hitomi, and, not knowing what to do, she slightly bowed her head and turned away._

_"She did," Okita said. "Why is this such a big deal? Is she in confinement for helping us out? At least let her cook. Those three burn everything."_

_"Heisuke won't be cooking until he stops walking into everything, and Saitou is on kitchen duty today."_

_"...and his food has no flavor," Souji sighed._

_Hijikata glared at him. "Quit whining. Souji, who was the one who got away from you? Who hurt Heisuke? Heisuke told me that they claimed that they were not from Choshuu."_

_"I don't know," Okita replied. "They were after Hitomi."_

_Hijikata turned to face the girl. "Who were they?"_

_Hitomi hesitated. "The one who fought Okita-san... was Kazama Chikage. My guess is that Heisuke-kun's opponent was Chikage's comrade, Amagiri Kyuuju." She tried to look away, but Hijikata only questioned her further._

_"You use this Kazama's given name... How exactly do you know him?"_  
><em>Okita turned to face Hitomi as her arm began to bleed.<em>  
><em>"Chikage..." She hesitated, clutching her arm. "Chikage is my half brother."<em>

_Before Hijikata could react, Okita interrupted. "Why exactly does your arm just randomly bleed like that?"_

_"It's not exactly random," she replied._

_"He's your brother?" Unlike Okita, Hijikata didn't seem to mind as Hitomi's blood stained the floor._

_Hitomi flashed a look of apology to Okita before turning to Hijikata. "Yes, he's my real father's son. He wants to kill me."_

_"How did he find you?" The vice commander's eyes were narrow as he grew more and more suspicious of the girl._

_"I don't know, sir."_

_"Why does he want to kill you?" Okita asked, changing his position on the bed._

_"He says I'm a disgrace to his oni clan. I'm not a regular oni. Only every hundred years or so is an oni with my powers born. That's why it was strange how Yoshida Toshimaru was like me, as well. Oni like us are almost always rejected by our clans."_

_"I still think this oni crap is bullshit. You are aware of how stupid you sound, right?" Hijikata massaged his forehead._

_"Hijikata-san," Okita said. Hijikata looked up to see Hitomi removing the blood stains from the carpet with only her mind._

_"I'll go get a bandage," Hitomi said. "I'll be back in a second."_

_Before Hijikata could respond, Hitomi disappeared from thin air. As she reappeared moments later, Okita began to laugh._

_"Hijikata-san," he said, "she's an oni."_

_Hijikata glared at the girl. "If you're so powerful, why didn't you escape from us while you were confined to your room? Why haven't you left after I've threatened to kill you?"_

_"Because," Hitomi said, eyes beginning to water, "I joined because I respect you. I want to be respected by you. So much is happening now. We need to stop the foreigners and keep Choshuu under control. I want to make a difference, and I also have to find Koudou. Being here is my dream. I want to prove to you that I'm innocent so you'll let me stay. If you decide that I deserve to die, I will accept that punishment. My purpose is here, in the Shinsengumi."_

_The room was silent for a few moments. "Hijikata-san," Okita began, "why is she tied up? She didn't do anything wrong, did she?"_

_The vice commander hesitated. "I have reason to believe that she summoned the other oni."_

_"She didn't." For the first time, Hitomi couldn't decipher the look in Okita's eyes as he looked at the vice commander. "Let her go."_

_Hijikata met Okita's unwavering eyes. Then, without a word, he untied Hitomi's wrists and left the room. Once outside, Hitomi could hear him mutter, "I guess she could have freaking done that herself."_

_Okita lay down. "Look, it's like, 6 AM. If I don't have to go on patrol, I'm going back to sleep. You mind leaving?"_

_Hitomi still hadn't moved. "S-sure." With nothing more than a quick bow of thanks, she awkwardly stumbled out of Okita's room._

* * *

><p>"Taking your time?" Hijikata's voice caused the flashback to fade from Hitomi's mind. She found herself staring blankly at the bloodstained uniforms. Instinctively, she stood up.<p>

"I'm so sorry. I'll get back to work."  
>She raised her head to see him walking away, arms crossed. Hitomi knew that he had no reason to trust her after Ikedaya. He was still suspicious, so she couldn't slack off on her chores.<p>

"I have GOT to stop spacing out," she told herself.

They say talking to yourself means something's bothering you." Harada placed a firm hand on Hitomi's shoulder. To her embarrassment, she nearly dropped the uniforms in shock. _I must SERIOUSLY be out of it, _she thought.

"Oops, didn't mean to scare you." The smile on Harada's face was genuine. Hitomi liked that. "I've been on patrol a lot lately," he said, "covering for Heisuke. I haven't had a chance to thank you."

"Huh?"

"For your help at Ikedaya. I thought it was a shame you aren't book official. If you were, you would've received an award from Aizu like the rest of us."

"It's really okay," Hitomi said, smiling. "I don't really care about monetary rewards."

"Don't be like that," Harada said, holding out a bundle wrapped in fabric. "Each of us pitched in some mon to add up to..." he unwrapped the gift. "about three ryo."

Hitomi placed the uniforms on the ledge of the well. "I can't accept this," she stuttered. "I only killed two guys, anyway."

"And one of them was THE Yoshida Toshimaru," Harada argued. "Besides, from what it sounds like, Heisuke and Souji could have died without you."

"That- that's not.."

"Just take it, Hitomi." Harada placed the money in her hand.

Hitomi could tell that Harada wouldn't back down. "I'll accept it," she said. "Thank you. How about I use this on a few fancier dinners?"

"If that's what you want to do, Hitomi, it sounds great to me." Harada walked away, and Hitomi resumed washing the uniforms.

The great hall was lively that night. Aside from everyone enjoying Hitomi's tamago sushi and Saitou's tofu miso soup, Okita and Heisuke were able to join them. A week had passed since the Ikedaya raid, Okita was fine despite the pain in his chest. He had stopped coughing up blood entirely, and Heisuke had regained his previous mental state just in time to fight harder than ever to protect his food from Nagakura.

"Don't think for a second you're getting my sushi," he said.

"While it may be considered wrong to fight the injured, Nagakura said, smiling menacingly, "I'm still hungry. And unlike yours, Hitomi's food actually tastes good. Therefore, I want more."

"I'm not even injured!"

"There's more in the kitchen," Hitomi said, however it was clear that she hadn't been heard as the two began dueling with their chopsticks. They seemed to be as talented fighting with eating utensils as they were with swords.

_CRACK!_

The bottom portion of one of Heisuke's chopsticks flew through the air. It hit Hijikata in the face before falling into his soup.

_Crap,_ Hitomi thought. _This can't be good._

However, Hijikata simply sighed and removed the broken piece of chopstick from his miso soup. For a moment, Hitomi could almost see a slight smile on his face. It seemed that even Hijikata felt the happiness that filled the room as everyone ate together and he didn't want to ruin it. As Heisuke apologized profusely, Hitomi excused herself to the kitchen to bring back another piece of sushi to replace the one Nagakura had stolen from him.

Heisuke and Okita resumed patrol around two weeks later, but on August 20th, 1864, when Aizu officially called the Shisengumi to battle, Okita was told to remain behind. San'nan would remain at headquarters as well. Though his arm had technically healed, he still couldn't use it. This fact seemed to weigh more and more on him each day.


End file.
